Now the grocery and retail industry is looking to get in on
automation as well.

Walmart recently patented a
system of self-driving shopping carts with mini robots that
can complete a long list of duties once reserved for human
employees. These motorized units can potentially move containers;
scan, retrieve, and deliver products; check inventory; retrieve
trash; and even connect with customers.

All this may sound like science fiction, but the automation of
retail jobs isn't so far off.

In late August, Lowe's announced that, starting this fall, 11
locations in the San Francisco Bay Area will feature LoweBots,
which are multilingual, autonomous
customer assistance robots.

In the grocery industry, self-checkout stands have become
standard. And the industry is now looking for more ways to use
tech to streamline shopping and minimize the need for human
employees.

Whole Foods 365's ordering
kiosks.Reuters

Whole Foods 365 stores, for example, have iPad kiosks that
let customers order food from the on-site kitchen, iPads with
digital scanners to provide details about wine, digital scales
for weighing foods, and digital price tags. The reliance on tech
over employees is intended to both cut costs — allowing for lower
prices —and appeal to millennial shoppers.

Retailers like Walmart say one of the major advantages of
automation is a better customer experience.

"In a modern retail store environment, there is a need to improve
the customer experience and/or convenience for the customer,"
Walmart's patent reads.

Walmart's patent notes that robots could help solve some of its
major challenges, like insufficient staffing during peak hours,
workers who are undertrained because of high turnover rates,
messy aisles, and theft — all things that could be addressed by
using robots.

Robots also make good workers — they never need a vacation, never
get sick, and arrive at work 100% trained.

Customer experience is especially important for brick-and-mortar
retailers in 2016, thanks to the growth of e-commerce sites such
as Amazon. The online retailer is aiming to take over sectors
from clothing to grocery — and
companies are scared.

"With increasing competition from nontraditional shopping
mechanisms, such as online shopping provided by e-commerce
merchants and alternative store formats, it can be important for
'brick and mortar' retailers to focus on improving the overall
customer experience and/or convenience," Walmart's patent reads.

Amazon's lack of physical stores has helped it thrive, as the
company can avoid issues — like long lines, lack of customer
service, and stocking problems — that retailers have to deal
with.

Amazon has arguably led the charge toward automation. In 2014,
the online retailer deployed Kiva robots across its warehouses to
automate the retrieving and packaging process. Deutsche Bank says
the machines
save the company roughly $22 million at each fulfillment
center.

At brick-and-mortar locations, automation also has the bonus of
appealing to younger customers — a group that retailers are eager
to attract.

Nearly a third of people ages 18 to 24 would rather order from
the drive-thru at restaurants because "they don't feel like
dealing with people,"
according to a recent study by Frisch's Restaurants, which
owns and franchises 120 Big Boy Restaurants.

Whole Foods 365's express
digital checkout stands.Reuters

That's part of the reason that retailers are investing in
automation. Whole Foods' 365 brand intends to win over
millennials.

"There are a lot more options for people these days — whether
it's groceries or restaurants or convenience stores — and 365 is
our way of evolving," Jeff Turnas, president of 365 by Whole
Foods Market, told
Business Insider in April.

While there are some clear benefits for investing in automation,
the rise of the robot may cause problems for workers.

A recent study from market research company Forrester predicts
that by 2021, robots will have eliminated 6% of all jobs in the
US,
The Guardian reports.

Joe
Raedle/Getty Images

The benefits of a more automated store are getting more and more
appealing as
labor costs rise, according to analysts.

Walmart told Business Insider that any predictions about how
investment in automation would affect workers was premature.

However, as companies across the grocery and retail space invest
in this technology, it is inevitable that shopping will involve
more and more robots. And, as times goes on, that's likely to
mean fewer and fewer human employees.

Are you a retail worker or shopper that has been affected by
automation? Contact the author of this story at
ktaylor@businessinsider.com.